Canadian homeowner's power bill nearly doubles despite leaving electric hot water behind

A Canadian homeowner hoping to keep electricity costs in check after moving away from electric water heating was surprised when their new home's power bill arrived.

The roughly 296 Canadian dollars ($209.68) bill was considerably higher than their previous apartment's peak of about 160 Canadian dollars ($114.51), prompting them to turn to Reddit for answers.

Here's what to know

In a Reddit post in r/AskElectricians, the homeowner reported using approximately 1,200 kilowatt-hours of electricity, compared to a peak of around 700 kWh at their apartment.

That amounts to about 71% more electricity and an 85% higher bill. It's unclear, however, if the bills covered comparable periods.

The homeowner intended to rely on wood heating in winter but was using a heat pump to keep the home at 72 degrees Fahrenheit. Oil supplied the hot water. The two-floor house also had an unfinished basement and was 300 square feet larger than the apartment.

With overnight temperatures above 41 F (5 degrees Celsius), the increase left the homeowner puzzled.

More background

Commenters pointed out a particular difference between houses and apartments beyond square footage: how much of the home is exposed to the outdoors.

"Houses are less energy efficient, generally, than an apartment. You have the outdoors sucking heat away on 5 sides of your dwelling instead of 1 or 2," one Redditor explained. "This makes it require more energy to heat."

What can be done?

A first billing cycle longer than 30 days was one possibility raised in the replies by the Newfoundland resident. That commenter urged the homeowner to check how many days the bill covered.

That detail could help determine whether the higher bill reflected increased electricity use over a comparable period or simply more days of service.

Another commenter suggested that the original poster should have their meter checked.

"I think you're just underestimating how much power your heat pump is using to heat your home as it's getting cooler outside," a different person wrote.

Where can I learn more?

A surprise power bill can leave homeowners wondering how much electricity their heating and hot water systems use.

• A Mid-Atlantic homeowner's heat pump bill soared, and commenters pointed to "luxury mode."

• A Massachusetts homeowner credited a heat pump water heater with savings and outage benefits.

• A DIYer's Rheem heat-pump water heater reportedly used just 650 kWh over 311 days.

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